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The Frenchman covered the technical course around Sittard-Geleen in the Netherlands in 16:08. Tom Dumoulin (Argos-Shimano) and Jesse Sergent (RadioShack-Leopard) finished second and third, both four seconds down. Big pre-race favourite Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) was only fifth.

Lars Boom (Belkin) held on to his overall lead with a strong effort, with Chavanel now second overall, four seconds down. Dumoulin moved up to third, at eight seconds. Taylor Phinney (BMC) is fourth overall, also at eight seconds.

Chavanel was pleased to have won and give him a chance of overall victory.

"It's great to win. I'm super happy," he said. "It was a superb course for me. It was very technical with lots of corners. It's good it was dry but after reconnaissance this morning, I went on the team bus and I said I loved it. I then focused on doing my best."

“I think I've got a chance of overall victory. I've twice finished second in the Eneco Tour (in 2009 and 2012) and this time I hope I can win. I was careful not lose any times in the splits in the opening three stages and so now it's possible."

Bradley Wiggins (Sky) set an early best time, but ended up off the podium, finishing fifth at nine seconds. However, the Briton is aiming for the World championships and that 57km long flat course could not be compared with this short, technical and rolling course in the country lanes of Limburg.

Zdenek Stybar came into the stage in fourth place overall, but he finished 38 seconds behind his teammate Chavanel. Former race leader Arnaud Demare (FdJ.fr) lost even more time and dropped from his third place overall. Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol) powered his way across the finish line 49 seconds slower than Chavanel.

Chavanel was only 24 seconds down on Boom before the race started. Boom didn't come into the stage to win the time trial, but hoping to hold on to his overall lead, and managed to do so, finishing only 20 seconds slower than Chavanel, in tenth place on the stage.

How it happened

The sun came out again Friday and the riders had a summery afternoon on the rolling course. Wiggins was on the 16th man to cover the 13.2km course, and he whipped around it in 16:13. That ensure him a long wait but eventually futile wait in the hot seat.

Saxo-Tinkoff 's Italians were the first to come close to Wiggins, with Daniel Bennati at 15 seconds down and Manuele Boaro an additional four seconds slower. They were then topped by Luke Durbridge (Orica-GreenEdge), but even the double Australian national road and time trial champion couldn't seriously challenge Wiggins.

Bennati and Durbridge both put in good rides. Bennati was in fact the fastest at the intermediate time check, by four seconds, but lost time on the second half of the course. The Australian reversed that, as he was 31 seconds behind Wiggins' best time at the intermediate, and then only 14 seconds down at the finish.

Jesse Sergent of RadioShack-Leopard was the next to challenge the Olympic champion, topping his intermediate time by 10 seconds, and then actually beating the best time by five seconds. The New Zealander had won the time trial here in 2011, but he wasn't destined to repeat that feat.

Sylvain Chavanel (OPQS) started fast and blasted around the twisting course, setting a best time of 16:04 on the short course, four seconds faster than Sergent. Shortly after him, Tom Dumoulin (Argos-Shimano) crossed the finish line marginally faster than Sergent, putting himself in second place.

From there it was only a question of how well the top GC riders would do to defend their positions. Phinney tried hard, as did teammate Philippe Gilbert but Boom proved the best of the bunch, keeping his leader's jersey by a small margin.

Now the fight for overall will head to Belgium for two tough stages in the Ardennes hills and the cobbled climbs in the Flanders region.